Post your favorite "secondary" lens for WDW!

[handicap18]

Its really all subjective and with each person it will change. Each of my last 2 trips I pretty much used 3 lenses. 1st of those trips was the Nikkor 18-70mm, Quantaray 70-300mm and Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. Last trip was the Nikkor 18-135mm, Nikkor 70-300mm VR and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4.

Any future trips I would also to with the 18-135, 70-300, and 30 combo but would most likely add the Sigma 10-20mm as well.

Some time down the road I'd switch my "walk-around" lens from the 18-135mm to a 17-50mm f/2.8 or 24-70mm f/2.8, but still go with the 70-300 and the 30mm prime.

The 50mm f/1.8 is also a great traveling lens as it is very sharp and very lightweight. Though I like the 30mm on a crop body better.

 

[WDWFWfan]

My second most used lens @ WDW (behind Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8) is definitely my Sigma 30mm f/1.4, but many of my favorite shots from our last trip came from my Sigma 10-20mm. 50mm is more useful than 30mm on some dark rides, but generally I used the 30/1.4 more than my 50/1.4.

Thanks for posting! I've seen some beautiful shots that you have made with teh 30/1.4. I've considered this lens personally, but then I've read about so many people who have received copies of the lens that were out of focus. With a shallow DoF, I'm sure that a large number of them can be related to that; however, I've read some people who "knew better" and still had to go through several copies to get a good one. What was your experience?

I didn't realize that the DIS photopost would strip the EXIF data. Both of the Fantasmic pictures are at ISO 1600 and at f4 for aperture.

I also had my 50 mm F1.8, but I didn't do too much shooting on the rides so it did not spend much time on my camera.

Thanks!

Well, we definitely don't all use a zoom primarily. My 16-50mm is handy but my 31mm F1.8 (or "the princess" or "the queen" as it's sometimes nicknamed) was definitely my main lens last trip. It's a nice focal length on a cropped DSLR (pretty much a "normal" lens) and the speed gives it a lot of flexibility - and the quality is second to none, so it's an easy pick.

My second lens would probably be the fisheye.

Actually, I did use the zooms while just walking around sometimes, but zooms just doesn't inspire me the way primes do. IMHO a prime makes you think a little more, which can lead to more interesting photos. You may miss a couple shots due to the wrong focal length but I think you will often gain as many or more shots due to whatever that lens' specialty is.

Interesting take, I've only owned one prime lens (Minolta 50mm1.7) and really didn't use it all that often. Although, I do wish I could use it on my Canon to play with it! Anyway, an investment in primes needs to be in my immediate future!

 

[oogieboogieman]

Okay, it's safe for me to talk trash now that trip is a little more than 3 months away. Wife loves to read my posts and come back with a response of her own. I don't own this lens as of today but, it WILL be my secondary lens. It will be the Sigma 30mm. I'm planning on having this lens by the 1st of July. It will give about one month to learn about this lens. My primary lens I'm going to use is my Olympus 11-22.

 

[annnewjerz]

Wife loves to read my posts and come back with a response of her own.

 

[jfinke]

Mine is my nifty fifty.

Next trip I will probably purchase the Tokina 11-16.

 

[Code]

Thanks for posting! I've seen some beautiful shots that you have made with teh 30/1.4. I've considered this lens personally, but then I've read about so many people who have received copies of the lens that were out of focus. With a shallow DoF, I'm sure that a large number of them can be related to that; however, I've read some people who "knew better" and still had to go through several copies to get a good one. What was your experience?

I've owned the Sigma 30 twice now for Olympus and Sony. The first copy (bought new) front-focused on my E-510 and I had to send it for calibration.. it took about a week and a half round trip and came back completely fixed. When I switched to Sony, I bought a used copy, and thankfully it has no BF/FF issues.

This lens is definitely notorious for focus issues (check the quality survey thread on the Sigma 30mm Flickr group), but as long as you understand that it needs to be tested when you get it and you may have to exchange it/have it calibrated, it is worth it IMO because it is an awesome lens. Just be sure you are testing it properly, as many people that think they have BF/FF issues just aren't testing right.

Interesting take, I've only owned one prime lens (Minolta 50mm1.7) and really didn't use it all that often. Although, I do wish I could use it on my Canon to play with it! Anyway, an investment in primes needs to be in my immediate future!

If you aren't using that Minolta 50/1.7, you can sell it on Ebay for around $100-125 as it works on Sony DSLRs. (Though Sony has announced a new 50/1.8 so the Mino 50/1.7's value may be dropping.)

 

[WDWFWfan]

If you aren't using that Minolta 50/1.7, you can sell it on Ebay for around $100-125 as it works on Sony DSLRs. (Though Sony has announced a new 50/1.8 so the Mino 50/1.7's value may be dropping.)

Thanks! I actually have a Minolta 700si w/vertical grip, 28-105xi, 100-300xi and the 50 that I need to sell if I can ever get around to putting them on the market.